


A Few Bad Days

by Starshaker



Series: 30 days of Techienician [25]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: 30 Days of Techienician, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, Implied/Referenced Character Death, M/M, Techienician
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-04
Updated: 2016-12-04
Packaged: 2018-09-06 13:29:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,309
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8753425
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Starshaker/pseuds/Starshaker
Summary: 30 Days of Techienician : Day 25 Missing Home ( Missing Family).
Techie misses home. Matt misses his mom as a sad anniversary comes around.





	

“You boy,” Ms Mallory called to Techie as his foot hovered above the first stair. His anxiety rose like a boiling kettle as he waited for her brash tone of voice to no doubt scold him for something he or Matt had done. Her footsteps creaked the floorboards with every step towards him yet he daren’t look around. Not out of disrespect, Ms Mallory was blind, and Matt had warned him that it was easier to take her remarks if you didn’t look up.

She stopped at the corner of the stair bannister and Techie hazarded a glance towards her. 

“You’ll be needing pancakes next week. The cornershop two streets over does a decent enough mix for a few dollars,”

“What?” Techie squeaked and coughed to clear his throat “Pancakes?”

“And blueberry muffins when I come to think about it,” Ms Mallory said, “He hates them the rest of the time,” She tapped her foot as she spoke and Techie felt like he should be writing this down for when the adrenaline wore off and he would only remember that he was supposed to remember something.

“Ms Mallory-,”

“You seem to be sticking around and you need to be prepared for his off days,” She said curtly and turned on the spot and returned to her flat. 

“Thank you,” Techie said, his voice drowned out by the door shutting behind her. Once he could hear her pottering about inside he shot up the stairs, only tripping twice as he braced himself between the wall and the bannister.

 

“What took you so long?” Matt asked. He was sprawled across the sofa and he leant back his head over the back of the cushions to see Techie as he hung up his coat. “Did you trip on the stairs?”

“Ms Mallory wanted to talk,” Techie said, hoping that this voice wouldn’t give 

“Did she invite herself to dinner again?” Matt asked with a groan.

“No.” Techie said as he crossed the room and bent to press a light kiss to Matt’s forehead. His nerves had dissipated by the time he’d reached the third floor. “She scared the life out of me and then told me what might help you on bad days,” Techie said. He stood just out of Matt’s eyeline and waited for some clue from Mattie

“Great,” Matt leant forwards his eyes trained to the floor and his hands in fists in his lap.

“She said there might be some days coming up soon,”

“Mom’s birthday next week, then my birthday in a couple of weeks,” Matt said with a wave of his hand to the empty calendar nailed to the wall “Then the anniversary of her death,”

“If I can help,” Techie said and took a step forwards, unsure if he should reach out yet or not.

“You might just want to avoid me,” Matt said. He spoke more to the floor than to Techie. “I’m not good company, last year Ms Mallory had to replace half the wall in the stairwell,”

“You miss her,” Techie said as he circled the sofa and sat down tentatively on the edge of the cushion, “I understand,”

“You miss your mom?” Matt asked without looking up.

“Yeah,” Techie admitted, “I miss home,”

“We could go see your mom sometime,” Matt suggested “Maybe next month, I don’t know,” Matt shrugged and glanced up briefly. 

“I don’t miss her so much when I’m here,” Techie said

“How come?” Matt looked up and Techie found he couldn't meet his eyes.

“I’m not on my own so much, I guess” Techie said, “Mom’s never seen my flat, but I know she wouldn’t approve of it,”

“It’s not that bad,”

“It’s not great,” Techie scowled and then glanced up quickly at Matt, “Not that you can’t tell me to go. If you want some space,” He added.

“I’ve got enough space,” Matt smiled to himself. Techie reached across to take his hand in cupped it in both of his own in his lap. “Having you here…” Matt’s voice caught and he swallowed and took a deep shaky breath in before he continued. 

“I don’t know whether mom would have liked you,” Matt said and he pulled both of Techie’s hands to his chest and wrapped his free arm around Techie’s shoulder. “I don’t even know if my mom would have liked me,” Matt said and tears welled in Matt’s eyes. Techie felt his own tears urge themselves to the surface but he blinked them down.

“I can only remember what people have told me about her. I don’t remember her,” Matt said, his breathing was fast and ragged, “I was eight. I should remember her shouldn’t I?” He looked up at Techie, and tears streamed down his face.

“It’s okay that you don’t,” Techie said as he rubbed his thumb over Matt’s hand. Matt rocked back and forth in time with the motion. 

“You’ve had a life since then,” Techie said “I know it’s not the same but when I saw my mom again after twelve years I didn’t recognise her. She still knew me. Your mom would too,” Techie said and Matt nodded along though he didn’t look comforted by the words, “What do you know about her?”

“Ms Mallory always said she wasn’t worth talking about. That the best thing she managed to do with her life was have me and keep me. That we always had a roof over our heads,” Matt said as he fidgeted with Techie’s fingers, “She had thin scraggy yellow blonde hair like me,” 

“Beautiful,” Techie corrected and Matt glanced up, broken from his thought train.

“What?” He asked with a frown.

“Your hair is beautiful,” Techie said again.

“Thanks,” Matt said and offered a half hearted smile. Tech kissed his collarbone and then lay his head against it. “Do you still have any of her stuff?”

“That hibernating spider plant on the windowsill,” Matt jostled him slightly as he gestured to yellow leafed plant. 

“You know that it’s not hibernating,” Techie said.

“It still flowers every year,” Matt countered. A familiar argument since the first day Techie had stepped inside the apartment. 

“Okay,” Techie said.

“I think purple was her favourite colour,” Matt said, “I think I remember purple curtains and bedding and tablecloths and dresses,”

“Are they the same purple curtains in your spare room?” Techie asked.

“Might be. I’ve never put up new ones,” Matt said, “We got free blueberry muffins and pancakes at some friend of her’s on our birthdays and special occasions. I didn’t like them but they were free food,” Matt said, “I guess we needed a lot of charity,” 

“My father wouldn’t let us take free food or samples or anything. He was…. Very proud,” “He forgot to order in dinner sometimes though, if the nanny was out or he was in a late business meeting. My brother would hoard food in secret,” Techie said. “Sorry, I’m not trying to make it a competition,”

“I know,” Matt nodded. He sniffed and wiped at his eyes and nose with his sleeve, “Speaking of dinner, what would you like?”

“You don’t have to cook,” Techie said quickly, “Not if you’re not feeling up to it,”

“I like cooking for you,” Matt said. He wrapped his arms around Techie’s shoulders “I’m getting better at not letting you distract me,”

“So I can watch?” Techie asked.

“As long as you’re perched on the counter within kissing distance,” Matt said lightheartedly.

“Wherever you want me,”

“Here,” Matt whispered and pushed Techie backwards against the sofa as he pressed his head against Techie’s shoulder. “Here, right here, don’t leave,” He whispered.

“Mattie,” Techie cooed and held on even tighter and rubbed a hand up and down his back. He could feel the damp patches growing where Matt pressed his face to Techie’s t-shirt. “Love you Mattie,” Techie whispered.


End file.
